Canoe.



U. R. MILLER.

CANOE.

APPLIGATION FILED APR.14, 191s.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

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WITNESSES. Z. WW

THE NORRIS PETERS ca. PHOTO-LITHO. WASHINGTON. By C.

URIAH R. MILLER, OF SALEM, OHIO, ASSIGNUR TO THE W. H. MULLINS 00., FSALEM,

OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CANOE.

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Application filed April 14, 1813.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Unran: It. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Salem, in the county of Columbiana and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Canoes; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof.

My invention relates to boats, and is particularly concerned withimproved means for protecting and strengthening the stem and sternmembers of a boatf My invention, however, is particularly adapted toboats such as canoes having a canvas or other sheet material coveringwhich is stretched over the frame work of the boat and the ends broughttogether over the stem and stern pieces. In boats, and particularlycanoes of this general construction, as heretofore constructed, thesheet material covering or canvas has been'lapped' at the ends over thestem and stern pieces and a strip of solid half round metal such asbrass has been secured to the outer edge of the stem or stern piece andfastened down over the lapped ends of the covering. Such construction isdefective in that this strengthening or wear strip has no lateralsupport other than the fastening screws or nails by which it is attachedto the stem or stern piece, and furthermore owing to the lapping of theends of the canvas on the outer edge of the stem or stern piece it hasbeen impossible to secure this wear strip snugly in place and withoutleaving an unsightly crack or opening between the edges of the wearstrip and the body of the canoe or boat. Furthermore by reason of thflat inner bearing surface of these strips heretofore used, it has beenimpossible to hold the calking compound, such for example as white lead,in place over the seam at the edges of the overlapping ends, so that thecanoe or boat frequently develops a leak at this seam. And finally, suchconstruction is objectionable for the reason that the edges of the wearstrip terminate either flush with or slightly within the edges of thestem or stern pieces, so that the covering material just to the rear ofthe strip is exposed to abrasion or wear against a dock or other landingplace when the canoe or boat is landing or when tied up.

My invention has for its objects, therefore,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. I2, 1315. Serial No. 760,999.

to avoid these objections by providing a wear strip which shalleffectively strengthen and protect the stem and stern portions of theboat, be securely held in place and shall be adapted to retain thecallring material in proper position to cover and close the seam of thecovering material.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in a construction andarrangement of parts, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation andpartial section of a canoe having improved wear strips thereon. Fig. 2is a perspective and partial sectional view showing the structuralarrangement of the stem or stern pieces illustrating the improved wearstrip in conjunction therewith. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional viewthrough. the stem or stern piece of the canoe; and Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the wear strip of my invention.

The embodiment of my invention herein selected for illustrationcomprises the body portion of a canoe including the keel l, ribs 2,gunwale 3, and sheathing 4. The stem or stern piece 5 may be and usuallyis a continuation of the keel as here shown, or may be a separate piecesuitably spliced to the keel. The sheathing as shown in Figs. 2 and 3,is securely nailed, as by a line of nails 6 to the stem 5. The sheetmaterial covering 7 such as canvas is then stretched tightly over thesheathing and is secured as by a line of fasteners 8 to the outer edgeof the stem, Fig. 2. The edges 9 of the covering being overlapped as at10 and secured one upon the other with a layer of suitable calkingcompound, such as white lead, between the overlapped edges.

In accordance with my improved construction, after the canvas or othersheet material covering has been properly stretched and secured inplace, I cover the seam thoroughly with a more or less thick layer ofcalking compound to efiectually close the seam and to cover also theheads of the nails or fasteners by which the canvas is secured in place.I thereupon construct from a suitable strip of metal such as brass, forinstance, a substantially half round channel member 11 (Fig. 4) curvedlongitudinally to conform to the shape of the stem or stern piece andhaving its lower end spread as at 12 to fit snugly over the bottom ofthe keel. This wear strip is provided with suitable apertures 13 at thebottom by which this lower end may be firmly secured to the end of thekeel and adjacent its upper end with apertures M by which this end maybe securely fastened to the stem piece. This wear'member is laid overthe stem piece and keel, and is secured in place by suitable screws orother fastening means 15. It will be seen from an inspection of Figs. 2and 3 that the channel formed of the Wear piece provides what may betermed a pocket which confines and holds the plastic compound over theseam or joint between the ends of the canvas covering and by reason ofthe fact that the edges of the wear piece project rearwardly, said edgesbear against the outside of the covering and thus prevent escape of thiscalking material from beneath the strip. The lapping of the edges of thewear piece over the sides of the stem also serve to protect the canvasof the canoe effectively from side blows when the canoe is broughtalongside a dock or other landing platform, for the reason that theextent of this lateral and rear projection of the edges of the strip maybe impossible for the landing platform to come in contact with thecanvas covering at what ever angle the canoe may approach such platform.Furthermore the hollow curved construction of this wear piece rendersthe same easy of manufacture from an ordinary strip of flat material,and also this hollow construction adds considerably to the strength ofthe strip.

While I have herein referred to the end members of the boat as stem andstern pieces, respectively, I shall employ the stem piece as a generalterm applicable either to the stem or stern members and desire thatCopies 01 this patent may be obtained for said term stem piece be sounderstood in the appended claims.

The particular construction and arrangement of this strip and method ofsecuring the same in place may obviously be modified within the scope ofthe appended claims:

Claims:

1. Ina boat, the combination of a stem piece and a sheet materialcovering having its edges overlapped upon the front edge of said stempiece, .of a metal channel wear strip overlying said edge to secure itto said stem piece, the edges of said wear strip projecting laterallyand slightly to the rear of outer edge of said stem piece. I

2. In a boat, the combination of a stem piece and a sheet materlalcovering having its edges overlapped upon said stem piece and a layer ofcalking composition overlying the edges of the material, of a channelwear strip overlying said edge to secure it to said stem piece, saidwear strip being adapted to inclose and retain the said calking compoundover a seam at the edgesof said covering.

3. In a boat, the combination of a stem piece and a sheet materialcovering having its edges overlapped upon the front edge of said. stempiece and a thick layer of calking material overlapping the edges, of achannel wear strip overlying said edges to secure it tosaid stem piece,said wear strip having its lower end shaped to conform to the end of thekeel and adapted to retain said calking material and means for securingsaid end to the keel.

In testimony whereof, I the said URIAH R. MILLER have hereunto set myhand.

URIAH R. MILLER.

Witnesses:

E. E. HANNA, R. O. KRIDLE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Batents Washington,D. G.

